Scotland’s Humza Yousaf commits £2m for climate aid at COP28

Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s top official at COP28, just pledged an extra £2 million to help communities hit by climate change. This adds to the £7 million the Scottish Government already put aside for the same cause in the last two years. Out of this, £1 million is going to C40 Cities from Scotland’s Climate Justice Fund, and another £1 million is teaming up with charity Give Directly to aid Malawi’s communities dealing with climate change impacts.

Scotland’s current move is like what Nicola Sturgeon did at COP26, where they doubled their promise for a loss and damage fund to £2 million. Scotland’s kind of showing other developed countries how it is done. Yousaf, carrying the torch, has been pushing for this at COP28 in Dubai, and the funding was agreed upon on the first day of talks.

Talking at a COP28 meeting, Yousaf said it’s crucial to listen to the opinions of people who might not always be heard, like folks in cities from the Global South and young people. The money will help a program called Inclusive Climate Action, supporting cities in the Global South. This includes local climate projects, making communities stronger, trying out city-led solutions for problems, and letting these cities have a louder voice in global talks about the climate.

Yousaf made it clear that while money matters, it’s not the only solution to loss and damage. He also said that local governments are really important in reducing pollution worldwide. The funding will also contribute to the C40 Cities program, a global network of mayors aiming to halve their emissions by 2030.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and C40 co-chair, gave a shoutout to the Scottish Government for leading in climate justice. She mentioned how this funding will help cities in the Global South take local climate actions, build resilience, and try out new city-led approaches to deal with loss and damage, making progress in the name of climate justice.